Softball
The Keene State College softball team had a nice week winning four of six games the week of April 18 to April 24.
According to keeneowls.com, the Owls started out the week on Tuesday, April 19, at Owl Athletic Complex against in-state rival Plymouth State University. KSC swept the Panthers taking game one 3-1 and game two 6-0.
In game one, senior Mariah Crisp threw a complete game allowing one run on five hits, walking one and striking out five hitters.
KSC fell behind in the fourth inning when the Panthers scored on Abrie Davis’s RBI double to make it 1-0. Keene State then made it a 3-1 ballgame scoring three runs in the bottom of the sixth.
Junior Jen Galavotti gave KSC the lead for good with her go ahead two run home run to make it 2-1. KSC then tacked on one more on senior Stephanie Long’s RBI single to make it 3-1.
In game two, Keene State got off to a great start as Long scored on a wild pitch in the bottom of the first inning to make it 1-0. In the second inning, sophomore Olivia Indorf smashed a two run home run to make it 3-0. First-year pitcher Molly St Germain helped her own cause hitting a solo home run to make it 4-0 in the second as well.
In the third, Keene State scored two more runs on wild pitches to make it 6-0, as that is all they would need. St Germain was brilliant on the mound throwing seven shutout innings. St Germain allowed just two hits, walked two and struck out five.
The Owls then hosted Amherst College on April 20, at home and split the doubleheader. Keene State fell in game one with a score of 12-3 in five innings. In the nightcap, KSC turned to their ace Mariah Crisp. She threw seven shutout innings and struck out seven while allowing three hits.
The lone run of the ballgame scored in the bottom of the sixth when senior Morgan Fallon drove in the only run with an RBI single to make it 1-0. Keene State then returned to action to close out the week on Sunday, April 24, at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.
KSC split their doubleheader with the Corsairs. Keene State took game one behind Crisp’s seven-inning effort. Crisp struck out 13 hitters in the victory, and allowed one run and two hits.
Keene State took the lead early in the second inning on sophomore Shae Crosby’s RBI single, and then tacked on one more on sophomore Brittany DaMota’s RBI triple to make it 2-0.
The Corsairs struck back striking for one run in the third as Emily Colton drove in a run via an RBI double to make it 2-1. That would be all the scoring, as Crisp shutdown the Corsairs the rest of the way.
In game two, the Owls fell to the Corsairs in 4-3 in nine innings. Keene State once again jumped out first in the fifth inning to go up 2-0 when Votto and Fallon each drove in runs. In the seventh, Votto struck again and made it 3-0 Owls with an RBI single.
Tim Smith / Photo Editor
The Corsairs then plated three runs in the bottom of the seventh on three straight hits to tie the game at 3-3. The game remained tied until the ninth when the Corsairs won the ballgame 4-3 on Gracie Trudeau’s walk off single.
The Owls once again went to Crisp on the mound and she went 8.2 inings in the loss.
Keene State will close out the regular season on April 30, at the University of Southern Maine. The first pitch for game one of the doubleheader is at 1 p.m. As of April 25, KSC is 8-2 in conference play and have a two game lead for first place.
Baseball
The Keene State College Baseball team finished the week of April 18 to April 24, with a 2-5 record and went 1-3 in Little East Conference play.
The Owls started the week falling on the road on Monday, April 18, to Western New England University 6-3. The Owls were unable to protect a 3-2 lead that they held heading into the seventh inning.
Keene State then returned home on April 19, and took on Plymouth State University in a conference play. The Owls took down the Panthers 11-4 behind a strong pitching performance from junior Michael Crimi.
Crimi went 6.1 innings and allowed two runs just one earned, on four hits, walked three and struck out five to get the victory. Keene State outhit the Panthers 14-6 in the win.
Junior Trevor Chapin paced Keene State’s offense. Chapin had three hits including a double and drove in two runs. First-year outfielder Devin Springfield had three hits and drove in three runs in the victory as well.
Colton McCracken / Equinox Staff
Senior Eddie Dionne came in the eighth inning with the tying run on deck, and picked up his first save of the season before the Owls broke open the game.
Keene State was home once again on April 20, and fell 6-0 to Westfield State University. Keene State offense could not get anything going as they had five hits and committed three errors.
Senior Kevin Guild started and took the loss going 3.2 innings and allowed three runs and he allowed a run in the fourth inning.
Keene State then returned to conference play on Saturday on the road against the University of Massachusetts Boston. However, Keene State lost 2-1. Senior Cody Dube fired seven strong innings allowing just two runs, one earned, and struck out seven hitters.
However, the Owls could not get anything going offensively as they mustered only four hits. The lone run of the ballgame for KSC was driven in by first-year infielder Mac Struthers.
In game two, Keene State bats came to life in the 6-5 loss in 11 innings. KSC got another strong pitching performance from junior Alan Schiff. Schiff tossed 6.2 innings and allowed two runs and struck out six hitters. The Owls bullpen could not preserve the lead as the Beacons scored a run to tie the game at 3-3 in the seventh inning off senior Keith Simpson. The teams then battled until the 11th inning before Keene State broke through for two runs.
Senior Vinny Parilla was able to give KSC the lead in the 11th with a two run double to make it a 5-3 ballgame. However, Keene State could not hold the lead as Dionne in his third inning of work allowed three runs in the bottom half of the frame.
KSC closed out its long week of baseball with Tufts University at home on Sunday, April 24. Keene State split with Jumbos winning in walk off fashion in game one 3-2. However, in game two Tufts beat KSC 9-7.
Keene State fell behind early as starter sophomore Tim Coppinger allowed two runs in the Top of the first inning. After that, Coppinger was able to work out of trouble through 4.2 innings. Junior Jeff Lunn picked up the win throwing 2.1 innings of scoreless relief.
Keene State was down 2-0 until the sixth inning when Struthers tied up the game with a two run single to make it 2-2. In the seventh, first-year first basemen Connor Longley hit an RBI single to give the Owls a 3-2 win.
However, in game two the Owls bats did not get anything going until late in the ballgame. KSC fell behind 8-0 until they finally struck for four runs in the bottom of sixth inning to make it 8-4. The Jumbos then plated one run in the top of the seventh to go ahead 9-4. Keene State was able to plate three runs in the bottom of the seventh. However, Longley, game one’s hero, ground out to end the ballgame as the winning run.
Keene State will be back home for conference play this weekend, hosting the University of Southern Maine at noon at Owl Athletic Complex.
Brian can be contacted at bclemmenson@kscequinox.com